Attachment for collapsible tubes.



R. L. WILLIS.

ATTACHMENT FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES.

APPLTCATION FlLEO MAR. a. 1911.

1 ,274, 1 29. Patented July so 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 3,.

WITNESSES 4a INVENTOR fiuwellLil zz'kb' A TTOR/VEYS R. L. WlLLlS.

ATTACHMENT FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1911.

1 ,274, 129. Patented July 30, 1918.

Z SHEETSSHEET 2.

IIIIIIIII INVEN TOR WITNESSES A TTORNEYS RUSSELL LEO WILLIS, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ATTACHMENT FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES.

Specificati'on of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 8, 1917. Serial No. 152,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rossnm. L. WILLIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Collapsible Tubes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My inventipn relates to collapsible tubes which are employed as containers for various substances such as paints, pastes, pow- .ders, etc., and the invention more part1cularly relates to the means for controlling the discharge orifice of the tube whereby to close or open the same as required.

An important object of the invention is to provide a cut-off for the discharge orifice of the tube, of a character to make it possible to do away with the usual screw cap and otherwise tosimplify the top or discharge end of the tube. I

- A further important object of the invention is to provide a cut-01f entirely inclosed within the tube but controllable from the exterior thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cut-ofi' in the form of a bowed, resilient element interiorly arranged and which may be compressed or constricted by direct collapsing pressure on the tube adjacent to the discharge orifice to uncover the latter and then permitted to expand to automatically effect a closure of the orifice, and by its expansion to restore the collapsed walls of the tube.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a resilient cut-off of the character referred to, having means to secure the same to the material of the tube and prevent displacement of said cut-ofi'.

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific description following.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of th1s specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top view of a collapsible tube embodying my invention in one form;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the upper portion of said tube, the section being taken on the line .22, Fig, 1';

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the resilient cut-ofi' in the form of the invention illus:

trated in Figs. 1 and 2; i

Fig. 4 is a side elevation lllustratmg another form of the invention, in which the discharge orifice of the tube is at a side instead of in the top;

Fig. 5 is atransverse section on the line 55, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a tube equipped with another form of my invention to be referred to hereinafter;

Fig. 7 is a perspective 'view of the cut-off zi mployed in the construction illustrated in Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing another modification in which the cut-off arm conforms to a fiat side of the tube;

Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Fig. 1, showing further variations in the cut-oil Fig. 11 is a plan view with parts broken away illustrating still another form of the invention.

Fig. 12 isa perspective view of a cut-off in which a separate bowed spring is employed to lend resiliency to the split ring.

The tube 10 made collapsible: and in any approved general form may, in carrying out my invention, be provided with a plain, flat top 11. A discharge orifice 12 is suit- Patented July 30, 1918.

ably formed in a tube in the top 11 or in a side as hereinafter explained, and, if desired,

the orifice may, as shown, be formed without any tapered spout and still be effective, though the usual tapered spout may be employed if desired. In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the discharge orifice 12. is formed at a side of the tube. It will therefore be obvious that the orifice may be variously located and differently formed as may be thought desirable.

Within the tube 10 adjacent to the discharge orifice is a flat split ring or bowed resilient element 13 constituting a cut-off for the orifice 12, and whichin the illustrated form has bendable tongues 14: which extend through the tube at the top and are A bent over the same to positively retain the cut-ofl in position. In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the cut-off portion of the ele-' tion of the material within the tube to be discharged through the orifice 12, external pressure is exerted on'the tube 10 at the sides near the discharge end by pinching the same, thus collapsing the walls of the tube and compressing or constricting the ring 13 to an extent to bring the orifices 16 and 12 into register for the outflow of the material. It will be clear that upon the pinching pressure on the tube 10 being relaxed, the split ring will expand, thus restoring or substantially restoring the collasped-walls of the tube and at the same time taking the orifice 16 out of register with the orifice 12, thereby automatically cutting otl the discharge and effecting a closure of the outlet.

In the form shown in Figs. 4c and 5, the cut-ofi 13 is essentially the same as in the first instance, consisting of a split ring within the tube 10*, near the lateral discharge orifice 12 so that in the expanded form of said ring the orifice 12 will be between the opposed ends of the ring. The cut-ofi portion 15 of the ring in the modified form is constituted by a continuation of one end of the ring, and the orifice 16 in said portion 15 is brought into register with the orifice 12 by pinching the tube as previously described.

In the form shown in Figs. 4: and 5, the

collapsing movement, whereas in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the terminal end of the tongue 15 will engage the opposite end of the ring when the orifices are in register.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, the split ring 13 has a cut-oil ton e or arm 15 disposed similarly to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say, parallel with the top 11", but said tongue is connected with the ring by an upstanding web 17 instead of the tongue departing directly from the upper edge of the ring as in Fig. 2. The tongue 15 is received in a recess or slot 10 in the under side of the top 11, said top being thickened to permit of the formation of the recess without unduly weakening the top. With the tongue disposed in the groove 10*, the movement of the tongue is confined to a certain path. The orifice 12 and the fastening tongues 14: are the same as in Fig. 1 and the orifice 16 corresponds with the orifice 16.

In the form shown in Fig. 8, the tube has a flattened side 10 and the cut-off tongue 15 of the resilient ring 13 is correspondingly flattened instead of being in a curve continuous with the resilient ring as in Fig. 5, so that said tongue 15 lies fiat against the inner surface of the flattened side 10 to bring its outlet orifice 16 to register with the orifice 12 in the tube by a straight movement of the tongue against the inner surface of the flattened side.

In Fig. 9 there is indicated a resilient ring 18" generally in the form of those previously described, said ring having an arm 15 extending inwardly and integral with said arm is a cut-ofi' segment 18 pivoted to the to 11 as by a pivot 19, said sector having a orifice '16 to be brought into and out of register with the outlet 12 of the tube 10 by contraction or expansion of the ring 13 I In Fig. 10 there is indicated a ring 13 directly formed at one end thereof with a segment 18", pivoted as at 19 and formed with an orifice 16 to register with the outlet orifice 12 of the tube 10 In the form shown in Fig. 11 a cut-ofi' segment 18 is disposed exteriorly on the top 1-1 of the tube 10*. The segment is secured by a pin 19 on or connected with which pin, at the interior of the tube, that is to say, beneath the top 11, is an arm 15 which is integral with or has connection with an end of the ring 13, whereby to turn said arm 15 through an angle for turning the pin 19 and swing the segment 18 to bring the orifices 12 and 16 respectively in the top 11 and the segment into or out of register.

In Fig. 12 instead of relying on the inherent resiliency of the ring 13 to restore the ring after compression thereof, I have shown a bowed spring 20 having hooked ends 21 engaging the opposite edges of the ring. .The tongue 15 and orifice 16 may correspond, as shown, with the tongue and orifice in Fig. 3.

I wish to state in conclusion that although the illustrated examples constitute practical embodiments of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same ture from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent:

1 The combination with a collapsible tube having a discharge orifice, of resilient means within the tube for restoring the same from a collapsed condition, said means pressing outwardly against the interior of the tube and adapted to be optionally compressed by external pressure on the tube to collapse the latter at the said resilientmeans, said means having a portion thereof positioned relatively to the discharge orifice of the tube to uncover the said. orifice by compression of said means, and to close said orifice and simultaneously restore the tube from the collapsed form by the expansion of said resilient means.

2. An attachment for collapsible tubes to control the discharge of material, said attachment consisting of a resilient sheet metal split ring adapted to be inclosed within the collapsible walls of the tube adjacent to the discharge outlet thereof, whereby to exert outward pressure against said walls, and formed with an ori ce for the passage of the contents of the tube, said ring being compressible to vary the position of the 01'1- fice therein to rmit outflow of the material or to cut 0 the outflow.

3. An attachment for collapsible tubes to control the discharge of material, said attachment consisting of a resilient sheet metal split ring adapted to be inclosed within the collapsible walls of the tube adjacent to the discharge outlet thereof, whereby to exert outward pressure against said walls, and formd with an orifice for the passage of the contents of the tube, said ring being compressible to Va the position of the orifice therein to permit outflow of the material or to cut off the outflow, together with means to secure saidring to the tube and prevent bodily displacement of the ring;

RUSSELL LEO WILLIS. 

